High-Risk Rescue
Author
Elizabeth Goddard
Reads
17.3K
Chapters
25
ONE
Hannah Kahn had the strongest sense she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She wasn’t ready to fulfill this role as personal assistant to Alfred Stevens, CEO of Greenco, so soon.
But she’d wanted this, hadn’t she? She’d worked hard to land this position and wanted to prove herself. Still, she hadn’t counted on Kristen Mayer—the assistant under whom Hannah had been training—to go on maternity leave early when her doctor ordered her to be put on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy.
Now Hannah almost felt like she was being set up for failure. Lifting her shoulders, she blew out a breath and banished the ill-timed self-doubts and worries. Forced confidence into her steps and hoped against hope that this newfound conviction would flood the rest of her body. And she needed it to happen soon...because as of right now, her clammy palms slicked against the tablet that held her notes and her heart was pounding wildly in her chest as she tried to wrap her mind around the fact that her title had abruptly changed from assistant-in-training to press secretary for this important event.
“A defining day in the life of my company,” Mr. Stevens had told her moments before they’d entered the hotel where they would make the announcement.
Yes, she was definitely in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Her heels clicked on the floor as she followed her boss down the hall of the posh convention center slash hotel and through a side door to make his big announcement to the press that Greenco was going public. He’d insisted making a big splash was important to set the stage for the future.
Shadowing them both, the bodyguard hovered near them like a wingman. Mr. Stevens had hired protection and apparently the founder of Honor Protection Specialists himself was providing services.
But of all the people on Planet Earth, why, oh why, did it have to be Ayden Honor? Even her fake confidence had faltered the moment her employer had “introduced” them. Oh, they already knew each other all right. They’d been together and madly in love until she’d broken things off for reasons that she could never tell him.
Ayden’s facial expression hadn’t changed, but she’d recognized the stunned look in his eyes. The shock and even...anger.
Why did he have to be here today, of all days?
He looked better today than when they’d been an item years ago. Maybe a little rougher around the edges—more experience reflected in his deep brown eyes. A tendril of attraction shivered through her. Were his shoulders broader now, or was she seeing things? She sighed inwardly. He still had that strong, stubbled jaw and devastatingly handsome profile, and as her eyes drifted up to take in his thick, dark hair, her heart skipped a beat. She remembered how much she’d loved weaving her fingers through it...
Enough!
Personally knowing the bodyguard didn’t do anything to help her feel better about the fact that her boss thought it necessary to hire protection. Protection? From what or whom?
The moment she’d been informed that he had employed a bodyguard, her anxiety had ramped up. But Hannah had ample practice in keeping her cool under pressure. Maybe it was like Mr. Stevens had said—one could never be too careful. This was their big day, after all. Hence, he’d recruited Ayden out of an abundance of caution.
Ayden had watched the earlier exchange and Hannah thought she’d read suspicion in his eyes. He wasn’t quite buying into Mr. Stevens’s explanation, either. Something about his deep piercing eyes that seemed to see right through her left her unnerved, as if he could tell that she wasn’t qualified to be working with this emerging tech company. At least not yet. But worse, her skin crawled with the thought that her ex might be able to see right through her to know what she’d done years ago.
Just breathe... Ayden can’t know.
No one knew about what happened except for one other person.
But she shouldn’t be wasting precious moments thinking about what she couldn’t change. All her focus needed to be on the next few moments of her life that could make or break her future.
She mentally ran through her list of responses to possible questions she could be asked as impromptu press secretary then concentrated on the platform that Mr. Stevens slowly approached. In his midforties, he was a man at the top of his game. Rich and successful. Handsome and happily married. This morning, he cut a striking figure in his black tailored Italian suit and a red power tie. Which seemed fitting for the occasion since he’d made no secret of the fact that he’d been dreaming of and planning for this day for months. Yet while she hadn’t known him long, she got the feeling that even Mr. Stevens had a crack in his own confidence. Did the sweat beading at his temples—something she’d never seen on him before—have something to do with the reason he’d hired Ayden? None of that was reassuring.
At the podium, Hannah stood just behind her boss’s left shoulder.
Bright lights shined in her eyes, but she resisted the urge to squint and frown, and instead, kept a small curve in her lips. No big smiles just yet. She projected the required confident, quiet professional look and focused on everything the CEO said.
Or tried to...
Her mouth grew dry and her throat tight as nerves fluttered through her once again. She’d wanted an important job... But behind the scenes. Not front and center in the midst of the main event.
Alfred Stevens was a charismatic man, and a dynamic speaker. Greenco—a geographic information system software company that would change the future by helping design energy efficient cities, clean water systems and more—was his brainchild that he’d built from the ground up. Now was his day to shine.
That she would be standing next to him seemed surreal. Flicking her eyes to the left, she risked a glimpse at Ayden, who stood in the shadows and out of the limelight, but close enough to act if required. His cool eyes stared at her, measuring her. But she had to be mistaken. Of course he wasn’t looking at her specifically. He was looking at everyone. Waiting and watching for possible danger. She obviously happened to glance his way at the same moment he looked at her.
As Mr. Stevens droned on about the path he’d taken to build the company, Hannah directed her attention on the group of invited reporters, as well as the gathered crowd of company employees and public spectators, which appeared larger than she would have expected. But what did she know about press conferences? She was about to get serious on-the-job experience. At least the expressions told her the crowd was congenial rather than antagonistic.
Still... Hannah struggled to shake the sense that she was out of her league.
That voice from the past crept in out of nowhere.
“You’re not good enough...”
Why now? God, please help me!
This was her moment to prove herself, and she had to shut down the self-doubt. She had to make her mother proud. After all, she was doing this for Momma as much as herself.
She recalled her mother’s words, meant to instill confidence. You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think...
Hannah could do this. She was here for a reason. She’d worked hard and she was putting her best professional foot forward.
She should just imagine everyone in the audience wearing clown noses.
Mr. Stevens cleared his throat.
Hannah focused intently on his next words, in which he would announce the company was going public. What came next would be the most challenging part. She would hear question upon question and Mr. Stevens would likely call on her to answer them. She had notes to which she could refer, but she wasn’t sure why he’d prepped her for this, since he was here and could respond to those same questions himself. Maybe to generate more buzz and add texture to his news. Or...did he plan to walk out and leave her to deal with the reporters all by herself? At the thought, her heart jumped to her throat.
She was supposed to be an assistant, not a press secretary. But somehow she would make it through this day.
“And now for the reason I gathered you here this morning. It has been my greatest privilege to build Greenco to what it is today, my greatest honor to work with so many brilliant employees, many of whom I’ve called friends. But it is with great regret that I...”
Wait. What was he going to say? What could he regret? Uncertainty lodged in her gut, churning up her anxiety.
“I’m...resigning as CEO.” His voice croaked out the words as if he hadn’t intended them.
The room fell silent.
Cameras flashed, breaking through the bright spotlights shining on Mr. Stevens. Shining on them both.
Panic engulfed Hannah. What? He was...resigning? That wasn’t what he was supposed to say! She wasn’t prepared to answer questions about his resignation.
He turned to look at her, gesturing it was her turn at the podium. His eyes pled with her, and she might have imagined an apology there. Regardless, she remained frozen in place where his words had immobilized her.
She was failing her first test miserably. But it wasn’t fair. He hadn’t prepared her for this news that clearly stunned everyone.
A shout pulled her out of her dumbfounded state as screams erupted.
“Bomb! There’s a bomb!”
Ayden Honor didn’t have to think. His experience as a special agent with the US Diplomatic Security Service had primed him to deal with just about anything, but he couldn’t deny his shock when someone had shouted that there was a bomb. Or his complete and utter surprise when Hannah Kahn had entered the office and his new client, Alfred Stevens, had introduced his right-hand “man.” But Ayden would have to deal with his reaction to seeing Hannah later. Much later. All his attention tunneled in around what was happening at this very moment, while his mind scrambled for answers. Had Stevens expected something like a bomb threat to go down? If so, he should have given Ayden a heads-up and been totally honest about the risk factors.
Regardless, his instincts had kicked in even as these unsettling thoughts whirled through his brain.
The crowd of reporters and employees erupted in screams and utter chaos. Gripped with fear and panic, each person was out to save his or her own life and dashed toward one of two exits.
Ayden focused on protecting Mr. Stevens. The man hadn’t hired him to specifically protect Hannah, but that came without saying, as far as Ayden was concerned.
Time seemed to slow as he rushed forward to grab Hannah and Mr. Stevens. Bright green eyes that he’d never forgotten had grown huge and Hannah’s mouth hung open. She appeared shell-shocked and just stood there, unmoving, with her long, auburn, perfectly curled hair cascading around her shoulders, as people swelled around her toward the exits at the front and the back of the room. But Stevens had reacted the same—like he was too stunned to move.
The man suddenly snapped out of it and took in the scene as if preparing his escape. Ayden cut across the dais, weaving through those who’d surged toward the exit on this side of the room—the private entrance onto the platform.
He had wanted to stand much closer during the announcement, but the CEO wouldn’t have it. The man’s decision had now resulted in people swarming around Stevens and Hannah before Ayden could. That would never happen again on his watch. Before Ayden was able to reach them, Stevens turned and grabbed Hannah’s hand, showing in that moment that he cared for someone other than himself. But an instant later, Ayden was on them both, seizing their arms and shielding them in a protective stance. He urged them toward the back of the room where, unfortunately, a choke point had formed.
The crowd bottlenecked at the doors, rushing them, pushing them forward toward the same exit. This was the closest one, and nothing could be gained by trying to go against the grain and head for the other, equally crammed exit across the room.
The bodies crushed around them, even in a crowd of maybe two hundred people or less.
Ayden didn’t like being in this position. Not one bit. But he continued to rush Stevens and Hannah forward, while also keeping an eye out for those around him. Someone could have shouted bomb to create exactly this kind of scenario and that could put the offender close enough to Stevens to cause bodily harm.
The CEO had to have suspected something like this might transpire.
But Ayden would save his ire for later. Right now, lives were at stake.
The press of bodies was uncomfortable, but worse was not knowing if there was actually a bomb and if there was, when it would go off.
Though he wanted to protect everyone surrounding them, he’d been hired to protect Stevens.
Lord, help me protect others. Guide me!
People pressed in around them, moving toward the door. Hotel alarms blared, ramping up the fear and congestion. Ahead in the hallway, he could see people pouring out of the hotel. Patrons and employees. Some environmental conference was also in play, and those attendees fled as well.
Unfortunately, this was an optimal place to plant a bomb if maximum impact was desired.
A woman fell near the door and cried out for help.
His gut clenched when those behind her didn’t stop but instead rushed over her.
“Help her. What’s the matter with you?” Ayden barked out to those up ahead.
“We can’t stop for her,” Stevens said. “I hired you to protect me.”
“We aren’t leaving her.” If Ayden stopped to help her, he could risk them all getting hurt, but he couldn’t leave her. “We’re almost there. I’m going to scoop her up as we go, but we stick together. You hear me?”
Hannah nodded, her terrified eyes focused on the young woman as others continued to disregard her fallen form. Fortunately, she wouldn’t have to endure more abuse.
“You’re here to shield me, not everyone else!” Stevens growled at Ayden, desperation and fear in his voice.
Ayden gritted his teeth. “Under the circumstances, I will do both.”
As the crowd squeezed tighter toward the door, he reached down to lift her up with one arm.
“Can you make it?”
She appeared dazed, battered and bruised, but nodded. “Thank you,” she whispered.
They pressed through the exit out into the hallway where more people tried to flee the packed hotel, but it was like rush hour traffic. Slow-going with so many people crammed inside.
Instead of staying with Ayden as instructed, Stevens forced his way through the mob, leaving both Hannah and Ayden behind. She acted as though she wanted to rush forward with her boss then suddenly slinked back and pressed against Ayden. At least she’d stayed with him, but on the other hand, maybe that wasn’t by choice. He doubted she had the power to press through the crowd as Stevens had done. He was clearly a man on a mission, determined to save only one life—his own. Stevens had given up on helping Hannah, after all. Still, Ayden was pretty sure everyone here had the same goal.
“Stevens!” Ayden shouted over the crowd, and the blaring alarms, spotting the back of the man’s head.
Once through the next door, people spread out and ran toward the two available exits on each end of the long hallway. Ayden had scoped the premises out ahead of time. Through the door across the hall, they would find another exit.
But he’d lost sight of Stevens now. Great. The first client of his new Honor Protection Specialists venture.
“I’m okay. You can let me go,” the woman he’d pulled from the floor said, drawing his attention.
“Are you sure?” Hannah touched her arm, impressing him with the fact she was still a kind and caring person in the middle of an everyone-for-themselves atmosphere.
She nodded, glancing between Hannah and Ayden, once he released her to find her own way. Against the wall, she edged her way to freedom.
Panic surged in Hannah’s eyes, but to her credit, she remained composed as she looked at him. “Where’s Mr. Stevens?”
Ayden gripped her hand and moved through the throng of people rushing from the hotel. “I see him. He’s waiting at the back door across the hall.”
Odd. But then again, he wouldn’t risk leaving the building without his hired bodyguard. And, honestly, Ayden couldn’t really be angry at the man for getting himself away safely. He’d made it that far, and no thanks to Ayden.
Still...he didn’t want Hannah getting ideas that the danger had passed. They weren’t out of the woods yet. “Stick with me.” Ayden glanced at her, and she nodded. “As soon as we get out of this hotel, we have to get far away.”
“The bomb?”
“Yes.” If there was a bomb, it was ticking.
God, please let us get out of here in time. Let these people make it to safety.
At least he served a purpose here today, though a very small one. After this catastrophe, he would be rethinking the kind of clients he took on.
With Hannah in tow, he moved toward the wall then headed away from the main exit and against the tide that fortunately had begun to dissipate as the hotel emptied.
A split second later, gunfire erupted from the front exit. Unleashing panic and pandemonium once again. People who had been fleeing the hotel turned back and ran toward them.
“Hurry!” Ayden rushed Hannah toward the side door in the hallway that would lead to another exit.
Stevens waited for them at the door—Ayden had gone over the exits with him should they need one—and the CEO stared at Ayden now, willing him forward as if his life depended on it.
He suddenly slid down, leaving a streak of blood on the wall.
“Stevens!” The sight gutted Ayden and when he reached him, he crouched next to the dying man.
Hannah screamed and dropped to her knees next to her boss. “Mr. Stevens! No, no, no, Alfred.”
Ayden took in the scene before him. Found the man’s midsection already drenched in blood. He assessed Stevens’s injuries, but in his peripheral vision he caught Hannah’s tear-filled eyes, along with the accusing look she gave Ayden. Her grief shifted to anger.
The injured man’s pulse was weak and erratic and then...gone. He’d lost too much blood already and there was nothing Ayden could do to help him now.
But he could help get Hannah to safety.
Another round of gunfire suddenly erupted then the wall near her head took a bullet.
Hannah pressed her hands over her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. She curled into a ball against the wall and prayed this nightmare would go away. More gunfire ensued, close enough she felt it to her bones. She couldn’t breathe.
I’m going to die!
Ayden crouched next to her, covering her, protecting her. If only Mr. Stevens had stayed with him, he might be alive. When Hannah opened her eyes, Ayden aimed his gun and then fired at their shooter as people continued frantically clearing the hallway. Keeping his gun ready to shoot, he gripped her arm. His handsome face suddenly filled her vision, his eyes penetrating. Ayden’s mouth moved, but she couldn’t comprehend the words. Then his deep frown, the fierce determination in his gaze, broke through her paralyzed mind as she took in what he said and what he meant.
“We. Have. To. Run!”
He tugged on her arm, forcing her up from the floor, then pulled her away from Mr. Stevens. She took in his motionless body and wished she hadn’t. She would never be able to erase that image from her mind.
Alfred.
He was gone now.
Gone!
She stared at his lifeless eyes again as if that would help her to grasp this new reality, but her mind couldn’t gain traction and she remained dumbfounded. Ayden’s shouts carried through a wave of screams as hotel security guards rushed in to protect people against the shooters.
Ayden lifted her off her feet with one arm and carried her. “Someone shot at you! We need to go if you don’t want to end up dead like your boss.”
“But Mr. Stevens! We can’t just leave him.”
She twisted around to look at Alfred’s body one last time. God... But there was nothing she could pray, nothing she could do for him now.
“He’s gone.” Ayden dropped her down to her own feet, releasing her to run with him, which she did. “We’re going through the door. Stevens was waiting for us to get through to the exit here.”
“And he got shot while waiting for us.”
Ayden’s grip tightened. “I’ll protect you.”
“You weren’t hired to protect me. You were hired to protect...” What was she saying? That she didn’t want his help? Ayden hadn’t succeeded in safeguarding Mr. Stevens, but she wouldn’t bring that up now. He already knew. “Okay. Let’s go.”
Using his body as a shield, he ushered her to the door. His back to her, he held his weapon ready to lay down cover if necessary. “Open it.”
She grabbed the handle and twisted. Nothing. She pulled but it didn’t budge. “It’s locked!”
“Stand back.”
She moved out of the way but kept to the shadows of the small alcove. Ayden somehow managed to keep her covered, as he kicked the door repeatedly. It finally gave way with a reverberating thud.
A bullet whizzed by her head, plunking in the Sheetrock.
Screaming, she ducked.
“Keep going down the hallway.”
He didn’t need to tell her twice. This time, anyway. She finally pushed back the paralyzing fear and vowed to keep moving. She ran through the doorway and continued down a long hallway, Ayden behind her. “Where are we going?”
“Hang a right. There should be an exit.”
Gasping for breath, fueled by fear, she ran down the long corridor, feeling like it just kept getting longer. Finally, she made it around the corner and took a right as he instructed. A brightly lit exit showed the way.
Hannah hesitated before going through. “But... What if they’re waiting on us?”
“I’m going first to clear the garage.”
“This leads to the parking garage?” She imagined Mr. Stevens had arranged to have a car waiting. But that wasn’t going to help them now. His driver had dropped them all off, and she had no clue where he was now.
She studied Ayden while also listening for the sound of pounding feet in the hallway, the only warning they would likely get if they had been followed.
Sweat beading on his brow, Ayden nodded and brandished his gun. “Wait for my signal.” He left her standing there alone when he exited.
She hadn’t realized how much his mere presence projected protection. And maybe that’s why Mr. Stevens had died—he’d ran ahead and left Ayden’s side. Maybe the bodyguard’s presence alone warded off evil. And with that thought she realized she’d rather be next to Ayden—despite the awkwardness of their past—than hiding in a lonely hallway during a bomb threat and shootout. Heart pounding, she feared those who had started the deadly rampage would come running after her. They had to have seen her and Ayden exit this way, of course, because they’d landed a few near misses at her head.
She started inching toward the exit despite his warning to wait. A breath away from her rushing through that door to join him in the parking garage, Ayden returned. And like she’d hoped, his appearance calmed her—if only a little.
Though she never wanted to see him again after their relationship ended, he was the security guy in this awful scenario, and she was grateful for his skills and protection.
“The garage is clear for the moment,” he said. “Let’s go. Stay behind me. Close behind me. Understood?”
“Yes.”
Together they hurried through the door, stuck to the walls and then he led her around the corner. Tires squealed.
Her heart rate skyrocketed at the threatening sounds—a vehicle steered by bad guys bent on getting to her rather than exiting with the threat of a bomb?
Oh, Lord...
Running through the hotel, herded by shooters down hallways and into the garage, she’d forgotten about the bomb. It was too much to keep up with.
“Change of plans.” The coarse timbre of Ayden’s voice rumbled through her, setting her teeth on edge.
“What?” She moved behind a support beam for cover.
“We’re not going through the garage,” he said. “We have to backtrack. Head for the stairwell.”
She inwardly groaned. “But that will take us back into the building.”
“And away from the attackers. Your pursuers.”
Your pursuers. “Why would anyone pursue me? I’m a nobody!”
She hadn’t expected a reply and all she got was his well-calibrated machine of a body rushing her through another door, while shielding her. Would he really take a bullet for her? She couldn’t fathom anyone would lay down their life for someone else.
Though, she knew One who’d paid the highest price for them all.
Ayden led her downstairs, moving slower than he normally would have, she suspected, so that she could keep up.
Even so, she gasped for breath—the heightened activity along with fear squeezing her heart and lungs. “Where are we going now?” She asked the question on a gasp.
“Out another exit.”
“You know about this how?” she asked.
“My job to scope out the place.”
Had it also been his job to look for potential bomb hazards? She bit back the question.
Both of them were breathing hard by the time they made it down to another floor that exited out into a loading dock area.
He edged toward the exit where an idling truck waited. Forgotten as someone fled the area?
“We have to hurry before someone attempts to stop us here.” Ayden rushed past the truck and into the alley.
“Wait! What are you doing? We could just climb into this truck and escape that way.”
“And draw too much attention. No, let’s stick with my plan.” He checked the alley, looking both ways, then gestured across the way. “We’re going to head into that building across the street.”
She wouldn’t argue with a protection expert who held her life in his hands, but if it had been left up to her, she would have driven the truck out of here. Then of course they might have been pursued by her “pursuers,” whoever they were. Okay. So he knew what he was doing.
Sirens rang out, bouncing off the walls between the buildings, reminding her that everyone was in danger, not just her.
God, please let everyone make it out of the hotel!
Images of Mr. Stevens accosted her, but she had to survive to tell her story. To tell his story.
A protective arm at her waist, gun at the ready, Ayden ushered her across the alley and through a door that easily pushed open. A side door like this she fully expected to be locked.
The loud honk and rumble of an engine echoed against the brick walls, and she saw a flash of red before the door closed.
A fire truck. Probably more than one.
Inside the building, Ayden broke through yet another door and entered another stairwell. At a landing between floors, he stopped to wipe his brow, then turned his dark eyes on her.
She remembered those eyes so well, and the look he’d given her when she last saw him—one of the most painful, heartbreaking days of her life.
“We’ll wait here until help arrives.” His voice was gruff as he scraped his free hand down his face.
She never would have dreamed she would be stuck in a small space with Ayden Honor again. Memories rushed at her from the past and entangled with their present predicament. Dizziness swept over her.
“Are you okay?” He reached forward as if to steady her.
She took a step back, and instantly regretted it when she saw the anger and hurt flash in his eyes. He wasn’t the enemy now. He wasn’t the enemy back then, either. “I—I’m fine, thanks. I heard sirens. Sounds like help is here.”
“They’re here to address the bomb threat first, and gunfire if it continues. I suspect since the target has been removed, the shooting has ceased.”
Target. He meant her. How could it be her?
When she didn’t say anything, he continued, “Don’t worry. You’re safe at the moment.”
Huffing out a breath, Ayden paced the small landing, and Hannah backed up against the wall. She didn’t mind the support, and the small space it gave her from Ayden.
“We’ll talk to the police at some point. But right now, I need to keep you safe.” He said the words as if reassuring himself.
“Mr. Stevens didn’t hire you to keep me safe. To me that means I shouldn’t be a target or else he would have hired you to keep me safe, too.”
“Right now, you’re an extension of Stevens. It’s obvious you were targeted, too. I’m going to need your phone.”
“My phone?”
“Need to make sure it isn’t being tracked.”
Hannah fished it out of her pocket and handed it over. She was actually surprised she still had it because she’d lost her iPad in the chaos. Maybe she’d placed it on the podium, but she couldn’t remember what happened.
Ayden examined her phone and then all he did was turn it off. He stuffed it in his pocket. “As far as who he hired me to protect—do you really think I would leave you unprotected, regardless?”
In his eyes, she saw a thousand emotions swell, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to answer that question. Was he protecting her because of their past history? Or because he was just a good guy? A hero. She’d bet the latter.
Broad shoulders lifted, his feet spread in a wide stance, he held his gun at his side. She had no doubt that he was a skilled marksman. Feeling his penetrating gaze, she slowly lifted her eyes to meet his. The way he looked at her now, she had the distinct sensation he was peering right into her soul.
And she knew Ayden wouldn’t leave her unprotected, under any circumstance.
“No. I don’t.”
Her emerald green eyes sparked with trust, which honestly surprised him. But it also reassured him. Especially since her boss had hired Ayden and he’d failed to protect the man. Given what happened between Hannah and Ayden nine years ago, he wasn’t sure what to expect from her. This was uncharted territory for them both.
When she’d broken things off with him—on the day he had meant to propose—he’d seen fear and mistrust in her tear-filled eyes. That look had startled him, cut him to the quick. Where had it come from? What had happened? He must have done something to cause her pain, but he had no idea what it could have been. And protecting her now, this woman he’d once loved, was also a huge distraction for him.
He didn’t think Hannah’s presence, the effect she had on him, had anything to do with Stevens’s death, though. At least he hoped not, and he pushed the doubt aside. He couldn’t afford it right now.
Ayden fisted his free hand and wanted to pound it into the wall.
Stevens, why didn’t you listen? Why didn’t you stick close?
What was worse—he wasn’t sure that even if Stevens had been right by his side, that he would still be alive. Ayden prided himself on his years of experience keeping high-risk assets safe in the US Diplomatic Security Service. But he’d left that all behind and preferred keeping things low-key in his new endeavor—Honor Protection Specialists.
Right.
Today had been anything but low-key.
Anguish and rage twisted inside of him. Still, he maintained his composure in front of Hannah.
Leaning against the wall, she stared at the floor—to avoid looking at him, he was sure—and hugged herself. What was she thinking? That hiring him hadn’t done her boss any good? She’d be well within her rights to have those thoughts.
Ayden ground his teeth together. He still wanted to slam his fist into the wall, but right now he had to exhibit control over his emotions. This dangerous situation wasn’t over yet.
He could berate himself when the dust settled, but right now—with a dead client—he wasn’t exactly sure when that would be.
Earlier, while he’d been clearing the garage and Hannah had waited for him in the hall, he’d contacted his sister, Everly, who worked with him at HPS. She was heading this way. Together, they would do everything in their power to make sure Hannah was safe.
“What can you tell me about what happened today?”
Her mouth dropped open. “Me? I know less than you do.”
“You worked as his assistant. He introduced you as his right-hand ‘man.’ Why did he hire me?”
Though he’d kept his tone even and his voice gentle, she took a step back, as if his questions were an affront, but he needed the truth.
“I told you I don’t know anything. I was surprised to see you in his office today. And not because it was you. Though that surprised me, too. I was surprised because this was the first I knew he’d hired protection. Honestly, it made me nervous. Again, not because it was you, Ayden, but because...why would he need protection?”
“Why would Stevens enlisting my services make you nervous?” Did she have something to hide? He wasn’t being fair. A bodyguard’s job was to make people uncomfortable.
“Not you personally. I just wasn’t ready to step into the full responsibility as his assistant. And I especially didn’t realize the job would come with danger.”
“Do you have any ideas about from where that danger might have come?”
She lifted her chin. “I told you I know nothing. I only meant the fact he had hired you meant he thought there could be danger. Although he reassured us both he was just being cautious.”
Just being cautious... Why?
Maybe Hannah knew something she wasn’t sharing, maybe she didn’t. But in any event, he wouldn’t press her more just yet.
Sighing, he crossed his arms and glanced at his watch. Everly would be pulling up soon so they could jump into the vehicle and get out of here.
One thing he knew, Alfred Stevens had hired him without being transparent about what he truly feared. He made it out to sound like he felt he needed protection from possibly being overwhelmed by reporters over his big announcement. At first, Ayden considered not taking Stevens on since his situation hadn’t appeared to involve any real sense of danger or threat.
But he had made his first mistake. He’d been overeager for that first client.
Regardless, Ayden had never let his guard down for a moment. Still, either this was a strange random coincidence or Stevens had left him in the dark about what or whom he was up against, and Stevens had been targeted.
A bomb threat.
Armed gunmen.
Chaos, and now his client lying dead in a pool of blood.
Sniffles drew his gaze back to Hannah, who’d taken a seat on the steps.
Had the additional gunshots truly been meant for her? Had she been specifically targeted? Since a bullet had come close to claiming her more than once, she was in jeopardy too and all this obviously came as a shock to her. Seeing her boss murdered was a rough experience.
But it came as a shock to him, too. Seeing Hannah today for the first time in nine years, his heart had thumped against his ribcage, and it took all his energy to remain composed. Aloof. Professional. This woman had been the catalyst to send him across the country to DC where he ended up working for the DSS.
Did she know how much power she once held over him?
A muscle ticked in his jaw. The past was the past, and he couldn’t let it get in the way of the job he had to do right now.
He stepped closer then crouched in front of her and drew her chin up. He steeled himself against the effect her luminous eyes had always had on him, and even now mesmerized him despite his effort to resist. When he saw her again today, he hadn’t been able to keep his gaze off her, which wasn’t good in his line of business. He needed to remain professionally detached per his training.
But that training hadn’t included facing the person who had shattered his heart.
Her appearance today had surprised him and thrown him off his game. But that wasn’t on her, and he would finish this. Though Hannah was strong and capable, that didn’t diminish the frightened look in her eyes.
And his protective instincts ramped up.
“This is going to sound strange, under the circumstances, but...how are you doing?”
Her face scrunched in surprise.
“Please, I need to know—are you hurt?”
She shook her head, but he knew it wasn’t true. He could tell she was hurting on the inside—psychologically—if not physically.
All he could think to say was, “This will be over soon.”
And that sounded even stranger than what he’d said before.
“No. I don’t think it will.”
